Key container



Oct. 15, 1940. 2,218,199

I P. S. HAUTON KEY CONTAINER Filed May 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l X W W H INVENTOR 1.5. PAUL s. HAUTON BY W Y EY ATT RN P. S. HALETON Oct. 15, 1940.

KEY CONTAINER 2 Sheets-5heet 2 Filed May 20, 1938 INVENTOR PAUL S. HAUTON 7i ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 15, 1940 It. oui 'rizo STATES,

PA ENT OFFICE KEY CONTAINER: Paul s. nautongananm, Ga; 1 Application May 20, 1938'; serial Nazca {9 g 1f 12 Claims (01. 70-456 This invention relates to containers and has more particular reference to containers suitable for pocket use and especially adapted for holdinga plurality of keys.

The object of the invention is to provide a more generally simplified and efficient container having a substantially smooth exterior when closed and which permitsthe desired key to be quicldy and easily located and manipulated.

The'patent to vSlotnick, No. 1,943,844, dated January 16, 1934, shows a construction in which a plurality of keysare pivotally mounted and frictionally held in place between a pair of spaced walls by a plurality of washers with a swinging 1 flat door closing one side of the container and operating a spring member for simultaneously lifting the ends ofall of the keys so as to project the key ends to an accessible position from their normally inaccessible position between the 20 side walls; The present invention permits access toa plurality of keys grouped in juxtaposed position from one side of the group and the s lection of the desired key from the group without necessarily swinging out the ends of all the keys. 3.? While two'embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings accompanying this application and forming part thereof, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of the underlying principles of the so invention soas; to afiord a clear understanding [thereof to those skilled in the art and is not intended as limiting the invention to the specific formdisclosed therein.

In'said drawings v :1; Fig.1 is a side elevation showing the container in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the container in open position. Y

Fig. 3 is a section of Fig; 1 on the line 33. I

. Fig. iisan end elevation.

Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 1- on the line 5-5:

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another form of the invention with the device shown in closed position. 1

. 7, Fig. 7 is-a' side elevation-of the modified device partly open and partly in section.

Fig. 8' is a section of-Fig. 6- onthe line 3'8.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the modification shown in Fig. 6, and l Fig.'l0 is a section of fig. 6 on the "ne lii,l0.' Continuing now by way of a more detailed description and referring more particularly to Figs. I to 5, a key container" preferably moulded to preferably forma pair of rigid, spaced, parallel side walls, A and B, one of which is cleared away at A to form a partly arcuate cutaway'portion permitting access to one side'of the grouped keys as will be more fully described hereinafter. A transverse wall C connecting the upper edges of to the side walls A and B forms one side of the key container andlimits the keys from swinging clear of-the container. in one direction- One end of thentransver'se wall te'rminatesshort of the ends of the parallel sidewalls, A and B, to permit the keys to be swung in alimited are so that the key container or holder may depend from a key whenlitfisinserted in and left in a look as is frequently desirable and-necessary. for instance in using the key container with automobile looks. The end of the wall C also aiiords a stop for temporarily supportinglth'e keys if. desiredin a lateral position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container when -a key is being selected for insertion=-v .in. a. 'lock. The keys are pivotally mountedinthe container within the spaced side walls-on a preferably detachable key pivoting member comprisingthe screw-D and internally threaded sleeve. E. This member connects the side walls A and Band is located near one end thereof. The headF of the screw D may be and preferably -.is countersunk in the wall A and the head G of- .the sleeve E may be andpreferably is countersunk in the wall B. The head G may be and preferablyis prevented from turning relativelytothe-casing walls by dependent lugs G adapted-to engage recesses formed in the wall B. Thisarrangement'for holding the sleeve E rela.- tively stationary to the container wall, obviates the necessity of slotting the. head G, and affords a smooth surface-for one side of the container. The keys may be secured within the container on the key pivoting member by separating the screw D and the sleeve Band-slipping the conventional key'opening over .the. parts of the pivoting member.; Once thekeys arein position, the sleeve E may be. secured-inplace by the screw D as will be readily" understood; The wall C and pivoted arrangement of the keys on the key pivoting memberpermit' the latter to swing in more or less paral-lel'planesin a limited are. A swinging door or gate H is preferably also moulded to form a recess J and dependent wall K, the gate complementing-wall A and closing ofi its opening 'A' and the dependent wall .K being opposed to wall:-

gate and is adapted to snap into a correkey group and affords access to the key ends from one side of the group, if the container is held ina horizontal position when the gate is opened. If the keys are loosely mounted on the key pivoting member, their ends may be swung out freely by turning the plane of the container toward a vertical position. When the key ends are projected from the container, access is afforded to either side of the keys. Since the keys are ordinarily arranged in definite order as related to the gate, the proper key may be selected Without visual inspection. affords a fingerhold for swinging the gate.

The foregoing container relates more particularly to a container in which a plurality of keys are mounted on a singlepivot. In ,the form shown in Figs. 6 to 10, the container is more specifically designed to segregate the keys into groups, the gates being so constructed as to be readily identified solely by the feel of the gate for instance the shape and depth of the panel in the side wall of the gate, thereby permitting the proper selection of a group to be easily made without usual inspection. The construction shown in the last named modification is also preferably moulded to form, a pair of spaced walls R and S (R being the front wall and S theback wall), having key pivoting members T and U of a construction similar to the screw D and sleeve E. The members T and U are located at opposite ends of the container. A transverse, diagonal partition or wall V, divides the key container into two key holding compartments, adapted to hold thekey ends, in opposite position, the wall R beingcut away on opposite sidesof the partition V., 'A gate W, adapted to close the upper cutaway portion is pivotedat X and retains the keys pivoted on U in the upper :key compartment of the container and a gate Y pivoted at Z retains the keys pivoted on T in the lower compartment of the container. The gates W and Y are lapped at 'W' and Y and register with corresponding undercuts on the cutaway portion of the wall R, for holding the closed gates'or doors in proper alignment with respect to the side wall R., G ate W has a latch W" snapping into a keeper recess R and gate Y has a latch Y" snapping into a keeper R", similar to the latch and keeper arrangement described in connection with Figs. l to 5. l I

In the form shown inFigs. 6 to 10 the swinging doors or gates mayand preferably have definite characteristic configurations to enable the user to distinguish the doors by feel so as to facilitate determination of the desired key group.

Since the key container is, in its preferred embodiment preferably moulded to the form illustrated, a rigid construction with properly aligned parts is achieved, with comparatively thin material.

I claim: t t I 1.' A key container comprising a moulded housing having spaced rigid side walls, a-c onnecting wall formed with the side walls with'an opening therebetwee'n, one'of the side walls having a cut away portion and a pivoted gate closing the cut away portion and spanning the opening between said rigid side walls the gate swinging in a plane parallel to the housing side.

2 .A key container combining spaced side members, means to pivot a plurality of keys between the spaced side members so as to swing freely in planes parallel to the side members, one of the side members being cleared away to permit access to the end of the space normally occupiedby, the free ends of the keys from one side of the group.

The recess" J 3. A container comprising a housing having spaced side walls with an opening therebetween, one of the walls having a cut away portion and means to close simultaneously the cut away portion and a portion of the said opening.

4. A key container comprising means therein for pivoting a plurality of keys said container having spaced walls lying in substantially parallel planes, one of the walls being cut away so as to afford access to the keys from one side of .thekey group and a swinging gate adapted to close off the cut away portion.

5. A key container comprising a pair of spaced walls, a detachable pin connectingthe spacedwalls for pivoting a plurality of keys, one of the spaced walls being cleared away at one end thereof so as to 'permit access to the end of the keys from one side thereof, and a gate pivoted at the opposite end of the container at which the keys are pivoted, to close the cleared away portion of one of the spaced walls.

6. A key container combining a housing comprising a pair of spaced "walls, "a detachable pin connecting the Walls for pivoting a plurality of keys in parallel relationship, means to limit movement of the keys around the pin, one of the spaced walls being cut away and a gate having a flat wallto close the cut away portion and an edging strip to retain the keys in position.

'7. A key container-comprising a housing having a diagonal partition dividing the container into a pair'of tapering key compartments, pivoted doors for each compartment and key retaining flanges on said doors.

8. A key container comprising a housing having a diagonal partition dividing the container into a pair of tapering key compartments, doors for each' compartment oppositely pivoted and keeper flang'es'on said doors.

9. Akey container comprising a housing having spaced walls and a diagonal partition between the walls dividing thecontainer into a pair of key-- compartments, one wall having a cut away portion over each compartment and a door to close each cut away portion, and means to maintaiii the 'door' in alignmentwith and latched to the'wall. 1

10. A key container comprising spaced walls having. grouped keys therebetween, one of the walls having a cut away portion and a pivoted gate to close off the cut away portion, the gate having a dependent wall forclosing' the space between the side walls to retain the keys in housed position when'the gate is closed and to afford access to the side of the keys and to permit the ends of the keys to swing clear of the container when the gate is open.

' 11. Aside wall arrangement for key containers comprising a side wall having a cut away portion and an undercut portion, a gate adapted to close off the cut away portion and having a lap to engage the undercut portion and means to hold the gate in closed position.

. 12. A key container comprising a housing having substantially parallel side wallsand means forsecuring at their head portion a plurality of keysin super-imposed relation between said side walls, one of said sidewalls being cut away so as to afford access at the bit portion of the keys from one .side of the group, and means including a swinging member adapted to close off the cutaway portion.

- PAUL S. HAUTON. 

